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If you’re like most people, then you have those times where life gets so hectic that you stop going to the gym and eating a balanced diet. Before you know it, you lose motivation to get back on track and you’re starting to gain weight and lose muscle instead of the other way around. This is exactly what happened to me. I got a job and moved to NYC and before I could get myself back on an exercise regimen that felt manageable, I started gaining weight. It wasn’t long before I realized I needed to resume a healthier lifestyle and needed someone there to push me.
I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of having a personal trainer, so I decided to finally look into it. After much research, I ended up at Focus Integrated Fitness for a six-week program that included four workouts per week–two days with a trainer and two PT6 classes. One of the many reasons I also decided to go to with this gym was that you also got to work with their nutritionist to set up a meal plan and learn healthy recipes.
After a quick assessment discussing my goals and preferences, I was paired with Torie and she was the best. I can’t stress enough how important it is to find a trainer that you are comfortable with. I loved that my sessions felt like I was working out with a friend (but she still made me put in work!) and that I could text her at any time if I had questions.
Going into my first week, I was extremely nervous and excited; I didn’t know what to expect. I was afraid that since I hadn’t been to the gym in so long, I wouldn’t be able to keep up or do any of the exercises. To my surprise, it went better than expected. Instead of starting out super intense, the first training session was more for Torie to assess my flexibility and a range of motion to better prepare a workout plan. We also took measurements and before pics as well.
Going into my first PT6 class, I had the same mixed emotions. PT6 is a full body strength and conditioning class where there are six stations that you spend 6 minutes at each. Luckily, the classes are small and I wasn’t the only new person there so that definitely made me feel better.
After my first week, I was definitely (I mean I went from working out 0x a week to 4x!) but in a good way. And as time went on, the training and classes got easier. Don’t get me wrong, they were still challenging and made me sweat, but I noticed after just a couple weeks how much more I could do. Not only did I build endurance, but I was able to increase weight amount and reps on almost all the exercises I was doing.
Even though six weeks isn’t that long, I learned so much and saw a big difference in that time frame. In my first week there I could barely hold a plank for 10 seconds; during my last session, I was up to 25-30 seconds!
So would I recommend getting a personal trainer? Absolutely! Having someone craft your workouts based on your goals and the accountability factor definitely kicked my butt into gear. Now I want to take what I learned and continue to make progress.
In less than two months, my total body fat, measurements and weight all decreased. I can only imagine what another 6 weeks will do.
If you are in the NYC or LA area, I highly recommend checking out Focus. You can do just the training, just the PT6 classes or both like I did. It’s the perfect place to get back on track and start living a healthier lifestyle.
Be sure to also check out 3 meals you can make on Sunday and eat during the week.
